Adolescence soundtrack: Full tracklist for Stephen Graham Netflix drama
Everything you need to know.
We're only in March, but Netflix's Adolescence has already cemented itself as one of the year's best – and without doubt the most powerful piece of television you'll watch this year, possibly ever.
The four-part series, which was written by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, begins with armed police bursting into a house on a quiet residential street and arresting a 13-year-old boy for the murder of a girl from his school – a crime he claims he did not commit.
What follows is a study of the damaging impact that online incel culture is having on young men and boys – and the devastating, sometimes fatal outcome of that for women and girls.
Newcomer Owen Cooper plays Jamie, the young boy who is accused of killing one of his peers, with Graham playing his father Eddie, and Ashley Walters playing DI Luke Bascombe, who is leading the investigation.
"It was intense. It was intense," said Ashley Walters of making Adolescence.
"I came into this job personally thinking that I was going to quit acting. So before I was like, ‘I’ve had enough.’ And obviously I've started directing and I was like, 'I want to pursue that a bit more, slow down the acting a bit, and eventually phase it out.'
And Stephen called me and was like, ‘No, you got to come and do this job.’ So I came, didn't realise how intense it was going to be, but it was so intense. The challenge was great. I was crying into my script most nights in the apartment, so scared I'm not going to remember the material.
"But actually, coming out of it, I grew. There was a newfound love for the craft and what I do. So it was intense, but really challenging and beautiful at the end of it for me."
Read more:
- Adolescence ending explained: Why did Jamie kill Katie?
- Is Adolescence based on a true story? Inspiration behind dark new Netflix drama
Other cast members include Christine Tremarco as Jamie's mum Manda, Faye Marsay as DS Misha Frank, Mark Stanley as lawyer Paulie Barlow, Erin Doherty as clinical psychologist Briony Ariston, Jo Hartley as headteacher Mrs Fenumore, and Hannah Walters as teacher Mrs Bailey.
The series was shot in South Kirkby, West Yorkshire, and filmed in one take by director Phillip Barantini, who reunited with composers and long-term collaborators Aaron May and David Ridley following their work on Boiling Point and Malpractice.
Accompanying their score, which is at times unsettling and on other occasions profoundly moving, there are also a couple of significant needle drops, which we've listed below.
Adolescence soundtrack
Episode 2
- Fragile – a Sting cover composed by May and Ridley
Episode 4
- Take On Me – A-ha
- Through the Eyes of a Child – Aurora
By entering your details you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Adolescence is available to stream now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
